Friday, May 30, 2014

Viva la Verve

Happy Friday!

Today I am posting over on the Viva la Verve challenge blog with a new sketch for this week:


I hope you will stop over and see the samples and join us for some fun.

Have a great weekend!

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Best Day Ever

Hi there! How is your weekend going? We have had another weekend trying to get as much yard work done as possible. If its not cutting grass, its cleaning up debris... we have a lot of years of neglect to make up for and the storms this past week have wreaked havoc on our place.

But I am not here to complain, I am here to share this week's Viva la Verve sketch with you. This week Stacey is bringing you her sketch along with an added inspiration challenge.



Feel free to use the sketch and inspiration picture together or separate. I used the sketch and pulled some color and embellishment inspiration from the picture to come up with this:


I used the Remember This and Chevron Love stamp sets from Verve, along with the Banner Bundle Die Set.

I hope you will join us for this week's sketch - your entry makes you eligible for a $100 gift certificate to the Verve store. You can find more details on the Viva la Verve blog. I can't wait to see what you create!


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Recipe
STAMPS: Remember This, Chevron Love - Verve Stamps
CARDSTOCK: Black, Kraft, Oatmeal - Wplus9
INK: Onyx Black Versafine - Tsukineko; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger
OTHER: Banner Bundle Die Set - Verve Stamps; Mini Rays Embossing Folder - Sizzix; Detail Gold Embossing Powder - Stewart Superior; Star punch - SU!; Doily - Wilton

Friday, May 16, 2014

Serendipity Stamps New Die Release Blog Hop


Hi there!

Serendipity Stamps has released some new dies, and the Design Team is here today to share some creations and inspiration using them. In addition to a super fancy Floral Frame Die, there are seven word dies also being released!

You should have arrived here from Vickie's blog. If you'd like to start from the beginning and get more details about the blog hop, please head to Mary's Blog.

One lucky commenter will win a $20 gift code prize to the Serendipity Stamps store. Be sure to leave a comment on EACH blog to be eligible for the prize! To enter to win leave a comment through midnight Sunday 5/18. The winner will be posted on Mary's blog on Monday 5/19.

Here's what I made using some of the new dies:


This first card combines the Hello Die with the Blackberries (or raspberries if you like!) image.

I love the fun scripty font of these dies. They cut beautifully, too!

My second card uses the Happy Die.


On this card I used the negative die cut instead of the actual word. I overlayed the cardstock onto my background, which was stamped with the Candle image. I stamped my negative die cut with the Ink Spots image before adhering it - it reminds me of confetti. I thought it would be fun to follow up on the inside with the Large Cupcake image along with a birthday sentiment.

The last card is made uses the Floral Frame that I mentioned before.


These dies are so elegant, I knew I wanted to create a wedding card. The actual frame part of this die is large - almost 5 inches square, so this card is a little oversized.

I die cut the frame and before adhering it my card base, inset a piece of patterned paper into the center with the sentiment. I thought the Joy to You sentiment was equally appropriate for a wedding as it would be for the Christmas holiday, so that's what I used. I stamped it in Versamark ink and heat embossed it with gold detail embossing powder. The fancy butterfly is also from this set, and is slightly smaller than Serendipity's corresponding Floral Butterfly Die. After die cutting, but before removing it from my cardstock, I covered it with Versamark ink and also heat embossed it in gold. Then I just carefully removed it - all of these dies are very delicate, but well worth the extra time to remove them - and adhered it to my card with a glue dot. Isn't it beautiful?

Each of the Design Team members is focusing on two words, so you can see some of the others in action by visiting their blogs. All of the new dies are available in the Dies section of the Serendipity store.

From here, Jeanne is your next stop along the hop. Here is the full list, be sure to visit everyone and leave a little love for a chance to win the $20 prize!


Have a great day!


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Recipe
Hello Card
STAMPS: Blackberries - Serendipity Stamps
CARDSTOCK: Ballet Slippers, Oatmeal - Wplus9; Raspberry Ripple - SU!
PATTERNED PAPER: This & That - Echo Park Paper Co.
INK: Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger; Tuxedo Black Memento - Tsukineko
OTHER: Hello Die - Serendipity Stamps; Baby's Breath Embossing Folder - Sizzix; Copic Markers

Happy Card
STAMPS: Candle, Ink Spots - Serendipity Stamps
CARDSTOCK: Soft Sky - SU!; Dove Grey - Wplus9; Guide Lines - PTI
INK: Soft Sky - SU!; Tuxedo Black Memento - Tsukineko
OTHER: Happy Die - Serendipity Stamps; Diamond Stickles - Ranger; Copic markers

Floral Frame Wedding Card
STAMPS: Joy to You - Serendipity Stamps
CARDSTOCK: Soft Honeydew, Oatmeal - Wplus9
PATTERNED PAPER: This & That - Echo Park Paper Co.
INK: Versamark - Tsukineko
OTHER: Floral Frame Die Set - Serendipity Stamps; Gold Detail Embossing Powder - Stewart Superior; Gold Pearls - Recollections

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Mother's Day Blessings

Hi there!

I hope all the moms out there had a wonderful Mother's Day. We had a beautiful day here with my Mom and Nana. The weather was gorgeous, and it was so nice just sitting outside.

I am stopping in to share this week's Viva la Verve challenge with you!

This week's sketch is from Janelle.


And my take...


The flowers in the background are from the Poppy Birthday set and the sentiment is from On Occasion. I also used the fancy Flourished Trim Die along the bottom.

I hope you will join us for this week's sketch - your entry makes you eligible for a $100 gift certificate to the Verve store. You can find more details on the Viva la Verve blog. I can't wait to see what you create!


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Recipe
STAMPS: Poppy Birthday, On Occasion - Verve Stamps
CARDSTOCK: Oatmeal - Wplus9; Pale Plum - SU!
INK: Pale Plum, Strawberry Slush, Sage Shadow - SU!; Onyx Black Versafine - Tsukineko; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger
OTHER: Flourished Trim Die, Flag It Die Set - Verve Stamps; Rustic Cream Button Twine - PTI; Buttons

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Serendipity Stamps Challenge #31


Hi there. I am here today to share a card for the first May challenge on the Serendipity Stamps Challenge Blog. The customer challenge this month is flowers. Create a project - any theme - featuring flowers. Be sure to include at least one Serendipity Stamps image (stamp or die) on your project! Our favorite design will win our winner blog badge and one random winner of this challenge will receive a $20 discount code off their next Serendipity Stamps order.

The design team used letters from the Floral Alphabet for our cards this week.


I used the letter C for Camillia on my card. I stamped it in Memento Ink and colored it with Copic markers.

Be sure to stop by and visit the rest of the Design Team:


I hope you'll join us for this month's challenge - all you need to do is use a flower image or die. Need to add to your collection? This week's special is 20% off all the stamps in the ALPHABET category. The sale runs through 5/14. Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by!


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Recipe
STAMPS: Floral Alphabet: C - Serendipity Stamps
CARDSTOCK: Cashmere, Oatmeal - Wplus9; Spring Moss - PTI
PATTERNED PAPER: This & That - Echo Park Paper Co.
INK: Rich Cocoa Memento - Tsukineko; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger
OTHER: Modern Wallpaper Embossing Folder - ProvoCraft; Crocheted Lace - JoAnn Fabrics; Copic markers

Monday, May 5, 2014

May Verve Diva Inspirations Hop

Welcome to Verve's May Diva Inspirations Hop. It's the 5th of the month and that means it's hopping time! This month we've got a fabulous challenge that's sure to take you on a sentimental journey! So in addition to a comment prize hidden along the hop, you can play along with the challenge and link up your creation for a chance to win another prize!

Our April challenge is Font Focus:



Fancy fonts are all the rage! Let your inner wordsmith shine and make a gorgeous sentiment (or two or three!) the focus of your card. Whether you draw inspiration from the graphic or take some poetic license of your own, just flash us some fonts!

In my opinion, Verve has some of the prettiest fonts ever!  I couldn't decide which sentiment to choose, but one thing is sure, whichever you use it can easily take center stage.  I finally settled on a sentiment from the Wonderfully Made stamp set.

 
I stamped it on the largest banner from the Banner Bundle Die Set and accented it with the leafy sprig from Bloom & Grow.  I added some other little complimentary accents, but let my pretty sentiment be the center of attention. 

Will you play along with us?  Need a little inspiration? Check out the blogs linked below to see what the other Divas did with the challenge! It's sure to be a treat, and speaking of treats, we've got a prize for one lucky commenter along the hop! Check out the Verve Blog today for all the prize info and deadlines, and a little bit about our brand new Diva!
1. Julee 9. Susan
2. Amy 10. Chaitali
3. Anya 11. Stacey
4. Betty 12. Maureen
5. Karen 13. Marisa
6. Sankari 14. Andrea
7. Sarah 14. Charmaine
8. Sony 14. Christyne
Check out our May special...


Thanks for stopping by today, enjoy the rest of the hop!


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Recipe
STAMPS: Wonderfully Made, Bloom & Grow - Verve Stamps
CARDSTOCK: Ballet Slippers, Oatmeal - Wplus9; Spring Moss - PTI
PATTERNED PAPER: Emma's Shoppe - Crate Paper
INK: Wild Wasabi - SU; Onyx Black Versafine - Tsukineko; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger
OTHER: Banner Bundle Die Set, Elegant Leaves Die - Verve Stamps; Doily - Wilton; Washi Tape; Button

Saturday, May 3, 2014

WMS May Release Day Blog Hop

Hello there!

Welcome to the Waltzingmouse Stamps May Release Day Blog Hop. Today, the new Waltzingmouse stamp set and two coordinating die sets that we have been previewing (along with some extra die sets, too!) for the past few days will be available for purchase in the Waltzingmouse Stamps store.

You should have arrived here from the super talented Laurie Schmidlin's blog. The waltz starts over on Claire's blog, so be sure to head there if you're just popping in.

As usual, Blog Waltz prizes are up for grabs! One winner will be randomly chosen from the comments left on one of the Design Team blogs, so let us know what you think of the new release! You have until 11:59 PM EST on May 5th to leave your comments. The winner will be announced on the WMS Blog on the 6th.

Ok! Details out of the way.

I talked yesterday about how great the Folded Tag Die would be to give a little gift. My original thought was just tucking some cash in there, but I pondered it some more and thought it would also be a fun way to gift some jewelry.

Sorry for these sub-par pictures.  Our SLR is on the fritz :(


Here is the outside, decorated with the banner sentiment from Tag Collection 1 and some flowers from the Gift Card It set.

And here is the inside, presenting the recipient with a pair of earrings.


I used a paper piercer to pierce two small holes, and then I slid the earrings in. They are in there pretty good, the rest of the hoop sticks out the back, so I am not overly concerned about them falling out. Because of the folded design with the closure at the top, the front part of the tag easily folds up around the gift and remains closed. Cute and fun, huh?

My second project for today features another peek at the largest Stitched Tag Die.


I used the Fine Feathers set along with the coordinating dies to decorate my tag. I stamped each feather and then went back in and added a little color to each with some of the images from Splat That. It adds just a splash of color to the feathers.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing the preview for the release. The products are now available for sale in the Waltzingmouse Stamps store.

Edna will be your next stop along the hop, don't forget to comment for your chance to win! Take care!


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Friday, May 2, 2014

Waltzingmouse Stamps May Release, Day 3

Hi there. Today I am back with Day 3 of the countdown for the May Release at Waltzingmouse Stamps.

For the past few days, the design team has been sharing previews of a new stamp set and coordinating dies that will be available for purchase tomorrow.

Today we are sharing another new die set, the Folded Tag Die Set. This die set includes a unique folded tag design as well as a smaller scale fishtail tag. We are still sharing holiday-themed projects, so you've got more Halloween from me today.


This is the folded tag. We have The Count making an appearance here. The pocket inside the tag can hold a little treat or in this case, a special message (wouldn't this be a great Halloween party invite?).


The message is also from The Count set. I paired it with Splat That and a portion of one of Wanda's Pantry labels.

My next card uses the fishtail tag from the Folded Tag Die Set.


This little tag is perfectly sized for a sentiment. Here I used images from the Midnight Feast set.

So that is my little bit of spooky for you today. I hope you are as excited about these tags as I am. I'll be back with more tomorrow, but until then be sure to check out the rest of the Design Team links for today. These sets will be available for sale tomorrow.  We'll be having our traditional release day blog hop, so look for me at 2 pm! Enjoy your Friday!

Anya Schrier - you are here!

So glad you stopped by! Have a super day!

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Waltzingmouse Stamps May Release, Day 2

Hi there!

Today I am back with Day 2 of the countdown for the May Release at Waltzingmouse Stamps.

The design team is sharing previews of a new stamp set and coordinating dies that will be available for purchase on May 3.

Today we are focusing on the Stitched Tags Die Set. This die set includes three different sized tags, all with a stitched border detail. Every DT member is focusing on a different holiday for today's projects and I am excited to have Halloween as my assigned holiday. I made a little something with each different sized tag die.

To start, here is a taggy card that uses the smallest tag die (approx. 1-1/8" x 2").


I used different images from the Halloween Party stamp set to decorate each tag. Its a fun little collection of things. This tag is just cute, I don't know how else to describe it :)

The medium sized tag is approximately 1-1/2" x 2-3/4". This is perfectly sized for a sentiment and a little something else.


To create this tag, I started by stamping my witch image (from Cicely at Halloween) onto cardstock. Then I aligned the die where I wanted it (these dies are open frames) so that Cicely was just in a portion of the frame. I really like the way this turned out, I tend to like to layer things onto my tags, but cutting out just a portion of the image was a fun technique too.

And finally, the largest tag, which is 2-1/4" x 4". This is the perfect sized tag for creating a fun little scene. This is my favorite type of tag to make, a little fussy cutting, a little distressing. Its just the perfect sized canvas to be creative.


This tag uses images from the All Hallows Eve set. Isn't that crow deliciously creepy?

So that is my little bit of spooky for you today. I hope you are as excited about these tags as I am. I'll be back with more tomorrow, but until then be sure to check out the rest of the Design Team links for today. We will be sharing previews through Saturday when the sets will be available for purchase. Enjoy!

Anya Schrier - you are here!

Oh! By the way, I am also posting today over on the Waltzingmouse Inspiration Blog. If you'd like to see a bit more of the Tag Collection 1 set we previewed yesterday, head on over!

So glad you stopped by! Have a super day!